How To Draw By Using A Grid

Learning how to draw by using a grid is almost like using a shortcut.

It's things like grids that make drawing possible for people who despair that they'll never be able to draw. This process breaks drawings right down to baby steps.

I recommend you use a grid as an aid only. I wouldn't encourage you to depend on it all the time.

Grids break down a picture into manageable sized pieces. You only need to focus on one square at a time and, before you know it, you have a great drawing staring you in the face!

Here's what you need to do:-

1. Find a good, clear picture that you would like to copy.

2. Make a copy of this picture, if you don't want to damage your original.

3. On your copy, mark all four edges of the picture at half inch intervals. Use a black fine tip marker. Beginners should start with smaller squares, like one quarter inch. Take care with your measurements, it can have an adverse effect on your drawings if you make a mistake.

4. Connect all the marks from side to side and from top to bottom to create your grid.

5. Now draw a grid on your blank paper to the exact same measurements. Draw these lines very lightly, in pencil. You will be erasing these when you are finished.

6. Pick a square to commence copying from. I am right-handed, so I always start at the top left square. This way, I don't smudge my drawing.

Another good shortcut is to photocopy a grid onto a transparency. This will save you the time it takes to draw a grid on your picture. It also reduces the possibility of errors with measurements. Plus, you don't have to waste time getting a copy the original picture. Lots of good, positive reasons to get a transparency there!

I use blu-tack to stick my transparency onto my picture to keep it steady.

You can make this process easier if you start off using grids with the exact same measurements. That is, the grid you copy from and the grid you copy on to, should both be the same size. As you become more confident with the process, you can keep increasing the size of the grid until you no longer need the guide lines at all.

If you draw a grid on your picture to half inch measurements, and then draw a grid with one inch measurements on your blank paper, you will finish up with a larger drawing than the original. This also works in reverse, if you draw a larger grid on your original and a small grid on your blank paper, you get a smaller drawing.

Welcome to the world of drawing!

Author Kerry Godsall is the webmaster at http://www.allaboutdrawings.com where you'll find plenty of easy pencil drawings to copy. If you want more ideas and drawing tips, you can have access to these when you sign up for the free newsletter.

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